Scientists look to dopamine production in Parkinson's research

Ryan Maass

Researchers have developed a new, more accurate production
method for stem cell-derived dopamine neurons for the potential
treatment of Parkinson's disease. Photo by Nissim Benvenisty/Wikimedia Commons

Researchers at
Lund University say they have found a more effective way to produce
dopamine neurons from stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's
disease.

Stem cell therapy to control dopamine
production may help treat Parkinson's disease, but until now, accurately
controlling an dproducing the cells in the lab has proven difficult.

"In our preclinical assessments of stem
cell-derived dopamine neurons we noticed that the outcome in animal
models varied dramatically, even though the cells were very similar at
the time of transplantation," lead researcher Malin Parmar explained.
"This has been frustrating and puzzling, and has significantly delayed
the establishment of clinical cell production protocols."

In a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell,
authors say stem cell engineering combined with mesencephalic dopamine
grafting is a promising strategy for combating the brain damage
associated with Parkinson's disease, and that their new production
method brings the treatment closer to clinical use.

"We have identified a specific set of markers
that correlate with high dopaminergic yield and graft function after
transplantation in animal models of Parkinson's disease," author Agnete
Kirkeby said in a press release. "Guided by this information, we have
developed a better and more accurate methods for producing dopamine
cells for clinical use in a reproducible way."

The experiment explored a stem cell's
development into a dopamine neuron. The research is linked to a second
study by the same scientists, which explored how dopamine neurons form
during their development, and explained what makes them differ from
other types of neurons.

With newfound control over the stem cell
differentiation process, researchers can produce pur populations of
high-quality dopamine neurons.

Despite the challenges, the research team says the first human transplants are expected to be just a few years away.

Scientists look to dopamine production in Parkinson's research
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